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Pakistan's Capital Crisis: Implications for U.S. Policy

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Pakistan's Capital Crisis: Implications for U.S. Policy Pakistan’s Capital Crisis: Implications for U.S. Policy Michael F. Martin Analyst in Asian Trade and Finance K. Alan Kronstadt Specialist in South Asian Affairs March 6, 2009 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov RS22983 CRS Report for Congress Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress Pakistan’s Capital Crisis: Implications for U.S. Policy Summary Pakistan, a key U.S. ally in global efforts to combat Islamist militancy, is facing a serious capital crisis. In the autumn of 2008, Pakistan was in urgent need of an estimated $4 billion in capital to avoid defaulting on its sovereign debt. The elected government of President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani sought short-term financial assistance from a number of sources, including the International Monetary Fund (IMF), China, and an informal group of nations (including the United States) known as the “Friends of Pakistan.” The Pakistani government reached an agreement with the IMF for $7.6 billion in loans, but their capital crisis continues. In February 2009, Pakistan requested an additional $4.5 billion in assistance from the IMF and Prime Minister Gillani traveled to Beijing seeking financial support. According to a recent study by the Atlantic Council, Pakistan needs $4 billion - $5 billion in the next 6 to 12 months to avoid another possible default. Pakistan’s continuing capital crisis is affecting the nation’s overall economic performance and raising concerns about its political stability. During her Asia trip in February 2009, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made several references to the importance of solving Pakistan’s economic problems in the continued campaign to combat Islamic militants in the region. The Atlantic Council has called for an increase in U.S. assistance “to avert an economic meltdown.” The severity of Pakistan’s economic situation has also been raised by several members of Congress. Several different research groups have recently issued reports on the situation in Pakistan that contain recommendations on what the United States could do to help alleviate Pakistan’s economic problems. There are indications that Congress may consider some of these recommended actions, including an increase in U.S. non-military assistance and the creation of “reconstruction opportunity zones” in Pakistan. This report will be updated as circumstances warrant. Congressional Research Service Pakistan’s Capital Crisis: Implications for U.S. Policy Contents Overview ....................................................................................................................................1 The Autumnal Capital Crisis .......................................................................................................3 Plans A and B........................................................................................................................3 China ....................................................................................................................................4 Saudi Arabia .........................................................................................................................4 Plan C: IMF Assistance.........................................................................................................5 The IMF Loan.............................................................................................................................5 Terms of the Loan.................................................................................................................6 Performance Criteria .............................................................................................................6 Conditionalities.....................................................................................................................7 The Need for Further Assistance .................................................................................................8 Pakistan’s Continuing Economic Problems..................................................................................9 Implications for U.S. Relations..................................................................................................10 Congressional Response............................................................................................................ 11 Tables Table 1. Schedule for the Provision of IMF Assistance to Pakistan ..............................................6 Table 2. Selected IMF Projections for Pakistan’s Economy..........................................................7 Contacts Author Contact Information ......................................................................................................13 Congressional Research Service Pakistan’s Capital Crisis: Implications for U.S. Policy Overview A stable, democratic, prosperous Pakistan is considered vital to U.S. interests.1 U.S. concerns regarding Pakistan include regional and global terrorism; stability in neighboring Afghanistan; democratization and human rights protection; the ongoing Kashmir problem and Pakistan-India tensions; and economic development in the region. Progress on these issues was severely threatened in 2008 by a sharp decline in Pakistan’s economic stability, culminating in an immediate need for capital assistance. U.S. officials and independent analysts are increasingly concerned that a failing Pakistani economy could undermine multilateral efforts to stabilize South Asia and curtail the incidence of Islamist radicalism. Since his ascension to the presidency in September 2008, President Asif Ali Zardari has attempted to address Pakistan’s economic problems, with the support of his chief economic advisor, Shaukat Tarin. On September 19, 2008, acting finance minister Naveed Qamar released new economic policies designed to bring about macroeconomic stability and avoid seeking IMF assistance that included the elimination of fuel, electricity and food subsidies, and a reduction in the government deficit.2 On November 3, 2008, Tarin announced reforms of Pakistan’s tax system, including the politically sensitive taxation of large landowners, to reduce the incidence of tax evasion.3 President Zardari has emphasized the importance of his nation’s economic problems, stating, “The greatest challenge this government faces is an economic one.”4 Despite the September announcement of new economic policies, Pakistan’s foreign exchange reserves declined markedly throughout 2008. The State Bank of Pakistan’s holdings of foreign exchange reserves fell from $14.2 billion at the end of October 2007 to $3.4 billion at the end of October 2008—barely enough to cover one month of imports.5 Pakistan needed $4 billion to $5 billion in assistance by the end of November in order to avoid defaulting on maturing sovereign debt obligations. During the autumn of 2008, Pakistan sought the needed capital from a variety of sources, including the International Monetary Fund (IMF), China, Saudi Arabia, the United States, and an informal group of nations known as the “Friends of Pakistan.”6 Although some assistance was provided by international organizations such as the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Islamic Development Bank (IDB), as well as $500 million from China, most of the capital Pakistan required to avoid the impending capital crisis came in the form of a $7.6 billion “stand-by arrangement” with the IMF, finalized on November 24, 2008.7 1 For more information about U.S.-Pakistan relations, see CRS Report RL33498, Pakistan-U.S. Relations, by K. Alan Kronstadt. 2 “Pakistan Unveils Package for Economic Stability,” Reuters, September 19, 2008. 3 Farhan Bokhari, “Pakistan Vows to Target Rich Tax Evaders as IMF Concludes Talks on Vital Loan,” Financial Times, November 3, 2008. 4 “Pakistan’s Zardari to Give Up Powers,” AFP, September 20, 2008. 5 Data from the State Bank of Pakistan web page, http://www.sbp.org.pk/ecodata/forex.pdf. 6 The first meeting of the “Friends of Pakistan” was held in New York City on September 26, 2008, in conjunction with a session of the United Nations’ General Assembly. Attending the meeting were representatives from Australia, Britain, Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States, plus the European Union and the United Nations. 7 The full text of Pakistan’s request for a stand-by arrangement is available online at http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ (continued...) Congressional Research Service 1 Pakistan’s Capital Crisis: Implications for U.S. Policy The IMF stand-by arrangement provided for $3.1 billion in immediate assistance, with the remainder to be distributed over the next two years, following quarterly reviews of Pakistan’s economic progress. Access to the IMF assistance was subject to a number of “conditionalities,” including a significant reduction in Pakistan’s fiscal and current account deficits; a tightening of Pakistan’s monetary policy (via higher interest rates); and “a strengthening and better targeting of social assistance.”8 Even though the autumnal capital crisis was averted, Pakistan claimed it needed $10 billion to $15 billion over the next two to three years to continue to service its capital account deficits and its outstanding debt.9 As a result, it continues to seek assistance from various sources. Pakistan reportedly requested an additional $4.5 billion in assistance from the IMF during bilateral talks in Dubai in mid-February 2009.10 A few days later, President Zardari traveled to China, where he reportedly requested aid.11
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